New 'green' club at Wayland High School

Thursday

May 8, 2014 at 12:12 PM

By Alison McCallStaff Writer

Two Wayland High School seniors have started a student environmental club, hoping to bring the school up to the successful green standards set by much of the district."I just thought it was weird we didn’t have (a garden), since we’re supposed to be the most student-active of all the schools in Wayland," senior Melissa Kay said. "We just wanted to bring it back. We think it’s pretty relevant."Kay is working with classmate Ally Toto on a joint senior project. The initial idea was to build a garden at the High School, but the two decided to establish The Green Thumb club to sustain it. About 20 students have joined, Toto estimated, with a fairly even spread over the four grades."Their vision is not for one senior project and done," club advisor and math teacher Matt Daniels said. "They’d like their work to carry on."Though the garden is the main focus – five 4-by-12-foot beds planted with fruits and vegetables – The Green Thumb is also looking at a trash audit, which would lay out how much of the High School’s garbage is recyclable; using garden-grown food on the school menu; a recycling program; more environmentally friendly lunch trays; and possibly working with another student whose senior project may be introducing a composting system to the school."It’s something really important that can bring together the community," said Toto. "Environmental awareness needs to be something people can concentrate on and focus on … We definitely wanted to leave that mark on the High School."Wayland’s Claypit Hill, Happy Hollow, Loker and Middle schools each have gardens, and some are also working on composting systems and recycling programs with active student, teacher and parent participation, thanks in part to the Wayland Schools PTO Green Team, which provides funding and labor to environmentally friendly school initiatives."They have in the past tried to start a garden at the High School," Green Team member Aina Lager said. "This is really the first time this idea has taken momentum. The students have come together in a way that’s wonderful."The previous environmental club at the High School was discontinued a few years back.The Green Thumb is in the process of planning a 5K fundraising run for Wayland's annual Earth Day celebration on May 4."It started out (as) something to serve my community service hours but it turned into something more fun," said junior Jonathan Watkins, who is helping plan the 5K and come up with Green Thumb ideas. "It became something I could really get involved (in)."This year’s Earth Day will have an emphasis on skill-building, said Green Team member Molly Faulkner, with how-tos on a range of things, potentially including gardening, canning, tying knots, hemming clothing, composting, and bicycle repair. The event will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Town Building.